Shakespeare's star crossed lovers are set to music this week

Opera at Bearwood is staging Charles Gounod’s operatic interpretation of the famous play

The story of Shakespeare’s star crossed lovers will be told with musical flair this week.

Opera at Bearwood is staging Charles Gounod’s operatic interpretation of the famous play and artistic director Justin Lavender says audiences may want to bring the tissues.

“The music is just absolutely gut wrenching. It really enhances it,” he says. “This story is nearly 400 years old but the music just makes it shine again, the colours are so bright. You just believe it all.”

Telling the story of Romeo and Juliet, two teenagers from warring families the Montagues and the Capulets, Gounod’s version takes all the most dramatic moments from the original play and fuses them into a moving and emotional opera.

“The opera is very faithful to the play,” says Justin. “People know the story but this opera has not been done very much.

"I wanted to do something that was a great opera that has not been done here. It’s absolutely as good as the play.

"The librettist took all the best bits of the play, all the love scenes and confrontation and put those bits into the opera. It’s a super opera.

"The melodies are wonderful and the harmonies are sumptuous.

"There’s a motif of the lovers in the music which is heartbreaking.”

The opera was originally written in French, with Gounod translating Shakespeare’s words and setting them to music.

But Opera at Bearwood will be turning the words back to English for their version.

“You can’t just set Shakespeare’s words to the notes Gounod wrote but we’re basically doing it in Shakespearian English,” explains Justin.

“The piece starts with the prologue as in the play and they sing how this is the story of two households at war and you will see how it unfolds and then it comes back in to the ball scene and the first time Romeo sees Juliet.

“The second act is the balcony scene and Romeo sings below her balcony. We’re using one of the balconies in the theatre for that and we’re going to build a trellis for Romeo to climb up. There’s a gorgeous duet they sing together.”

The company is creating a stunning Verona setting for the performance using a clever backdrop and some hand-sewn costumes.

“We are using a 15th century colonnade along the back wall which can double as exterior or interior,” explains Justin.

“It’s going to work quite well and the costumes on stage are great. Our costumier Alison Marshall is quite experienced in historical costume and we’re having costumes which are as authentic to the 15th century as we can. I saw most for the first time the other day and they look wonderful.”

The cast have been working on the piece for several months but solo principal scenes have been worked on in private and have only recently been performed in front of the whole cast.

“We have rehearsed all the very intimate love scenes away from the main rehearsals. I sing at the Royal College of Music so we have been able to borrow space there. You can’t rehearse those kind of scenes with everyone watching,” says Justin.

“We’ve finally brought them into the main rehearsal and the chorus reaction has been marvellous, I hope the audience feel the same emotion.”

The show runs from July 8-12. Tickets are £16, £14 concessions. To book call 07826 518 853.